Be Strong and of Courage: January 2010

We would love for all of us to get the most out of each Sunday's lesson. We have decided a good way to do this is to ask the young women (and parents) to prepare before Sunday by thinking about the topic and reading a few selected quotes and scriptures directly from the lesson. Any suggestions or comments are appreciated. Please review the following information in preparation for Sunday's lesson.

Lesson 5: Home Environment (January 31, 2010, Taught by the Class Advisors)

President Spencer W. Kimball: “No matter what you read or hear, no matter what the differences of circumstances you observe in the lives of women about you, it is important for you Latter-day Saint women to understand that the Lord holds motherhood and mothers sacred and in the highest esteem. He has entrusted to his daughters the great responsibility of bearing and nurturing children.

“This is the great, irreplaceable work of women. Life cannot go on if women cease to bear children. Mortal life is a privilege and a necessary step in eternal progression. Mother Eve understood that. You must also understand it. …

“Much is said about the drudgery and the confinement of the woman’s role in the home. In the perspective of the gospel it is not so. There is divinity in each new life. There is challenge in creating the environment in which a child can grow and develop. There is partnership between the man and woman in building a family which can last throughout the eternities” (“Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, pp. 105–6).

Good habits are not acquired simply by making good resolves, though the thought must precede the action. Good habits are developed in the workshop of our daily lives. It is not in the great moments of test and trial that character is built. That is only when it is displayed. The habits that direct our lives and form our character are fashioned in the often uneventful, commonplace routine of life. They are acquired by practice” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, p. 25; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 20).

Scriptures to read:

Doctrine and Covenants 132:8 Behold, mine house is a house of aorder, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
Moses 3:15 And I, the Lord God, took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it.
Doctrine and Covenants 90:18 Set in aorder your houses; keep slothfulness and cuncleanness far from you.
Doctrine and Covenants 42:41 And let all things be done in cleanliness before me.
Ephesians 6: 1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Discussion Questions
• How can I help my family create a home environment where the Spirit can dwell?
• What homemaking skills and life skills do I need to learn to make home life less stressful and to increase my family’s sense of well-being? In what ways will learning these skills help me in my future home?

Additional Resources
• Susan W. Tanner, “Stand as a Witness,” Ensign and Liahona, May 2008, 113–15. Consider sharing the story about the gift of faith that Sister Tanner’s mother possessed and how it influenced Sister Tanner’s life.
• Mary N. Cook, “Strengthening Home and Family,” Nov. 2007, 11–13.
• For the Strength of Youth (pamphlet, 2001), 10–11.